Grandfather's Last Request
by Ayamegusa
Summary: Inuyasha is asked to propose to Kagome. Can he do it?
1. Chapter 1

The Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi-san

Grandfather's Last Request

* * *

Kagome heaved a sigh after she hefted herself out from the mouth of the well. After approximately two long and dangerous weeks in the Sengoku jidai, her whole self was finally at ease at seeing the familiar wooden structure of the well house. She was home, and she was going to make the most of what time she could squeeze into at being a normal girl who went to high school every day, and would have nothing to worry about except for exams—

_Maybe after a nice hot bath…and maybe some oden…and a nice long sleep in…_

So, with a smile on her face and a bouncy tempo, the miko strolled to the place where she affectionately called home. Carefully, she opened the shoji door and announced her arrival to her family.

However, she was met with an eerie silence.

"Hello," her cheery tone was dampened slightly while she placed her shoes into the shelf, replacing them with a pair of slippers. "Mama?" she called out softly. "Souta?" she tiptoed gingerly onto the step, almost afraid that she would make the floorboards suddenly creak if she made any noise. "Jii-chan…?"

_Where is everybody? _

It was then, as she neared to the sliding door of the living room, did Kagome hear the sounds of crying. Leaning closer to the door, she listened to the sorrowful sounds coming through the paper-thin screen, but she quickly drew away not wanting to hear anymore. The sounds of pure sadness pulled at her heart, and Kagome could feel the stinging in her eyes as the first trickle of tears threatened to fall down. But the miko would have none of it. She could not cry, she would not cry. Not when she knew who was behind the shoji door, weeping alone in the house with no one to comfort her.

"Mama?" though she had said it as quietly as she could, the older woman still gasped, turning around to face her daughter.

Her hand trembled as she covered her mouth in surprise, "Oh, Kagome! I didn't hear you come in. I'm sorry you saw me like this. But please, sit down. It's good to see you back home. Did Inuyasha-kun come with you?"

"No, he had to do some things."

"Oh…but he'll be back later, won't he?"

"Yeah…," Kagome answered, slowly. "I guess…"

"I'm glad."

"What's this all about, mama? This isn't like you."

"I'm sorry, dear," the older woman replied, wiping a tear that managed to escape from the corner of her eye. "Things have been a lot harder, since…since…" and she could not say any more when she started to cry again.

Kagome sat still next to the sobbing woman, her body numb and unable to comfort her mother. It was certainly a horrible situation to walk in to, to find that all was not well at the Higurashi household. What could have possibly happened in her absence?

Distracted by her own growing guilty conscious for not being at home when it was obvious that they needed her, she did not realise when Souta, her younger brother, had walked in, his face and mood reflecting that of the whole family and the very atmosphere of the house.

"Nee-chan?" he said, his choked voice breaking her thoughts. "You're back."

Immediately, Kagome knew that something was very wrong, and that if she did not act now, it would possibly be too late.

"Where's jii-chan?"

The young boy simply pointed to their grandfather's room while taking her hand into his. "He kept asking for you," and with that, both siblings headed into the direction of his room, where Kagome knocked softly on the door, and announced her arrival.

"Come in, Kagome."

Kagome kneeled next to her grandfather, who lay prone on the futon, his eyes closed as if in sleep, or in pain. She began to bite her lip in worry.

Jii-chan's eyes opened wearily and smiled at his favourite granddaughter, patting the ground to indicate for Kagome to sit closer. "Kagome, I'm glad you came to see me, an old man though I am." His aged hand clasped around hers, and he sighed, refusing to say anymore lest he became emotional and started upsetting the young woman any further. He only wanted the best for his granddaughter, the best, before his life—

"What is it?" she asked softly, trying not to let the pale face of her grandfather upset her.

Turning his head towards the ceiling, he smiled faintly, even chuckled a little. "I never would have thought… no… I'd better not tell you. I'm just a silly old man, after all." He then closed his eyes, and said nothing more, leaving Kagome to sit, frozen, as if she had been struck by a sudden, dark premonition about the elderly man who lay before her. Soon the tears appeared, running uncontrollably down her face. She didn't know how long she had sat there, crying, nor did she remember how long it was until her mother walked in and escorted her to the living room, holding her as she wept quietly.

"I'm sorry, mama, for not being here. I didn't know. Has he been like that for long?"

"It's not your fault, dear. Truthfully, he had been fine yesterday, but when I came home from shopping today, I found him like that. I've tried everything to comfort him, but… but…" she lowered her voice to a whisper. "That's why I asked if Inuyasha-kun was with you. He has been asking for him."

The front door slid open as if to answer for Kagome, and Inuyasha walked in with a look of annoyance on his face. He opened his mouth to berate the woman for not telling him she had left for her time, but once he saw the tears in her eyes, the hanyou quickly shut his mouth, holding his hand over his heart in attempt to stop it beating so loudly against his chest. They both stared at each other, every second making the situation even more awkward, until Kagome could not stand it any longer, and ran from the room, her footsteps becoming faint as she ran up the stairs.

At a loss for words, Inuyasha stood still all the while trying hard to remember if he had done anything to upset her.

"It's not that, Inuyasha-kun." Kagome's mother replied gently, guiding him to her father's room before silently closing the door so they would not be disturbed. With one last look at the door, she walked away, sighing deeply and wondering if things were ever going to be the same again.

* * *

After some time, the hanyou cautiously opened the door to the miko's room, and found her sitting on her chair with only the moonlight to light up the darkened room. Padding towards her, he touched her shoulder and found she had fallen asleep, so, he took the blanket off the bed and draped it over her small body, while hoping she had not become too distressed by the news that her grandfather had just told him. At first, he had been a little bit sceptical of the old man's words, the same man who thought he was nothing but a trouble maker who was trying to steal his granddaughter away from him. Only now – when he looked into those tired eyes pleadingly looking back at him – he began to wonder if it was better for him to keep on thinking that he was just a hanyou scoundrel. Maybe he could steal Kagome away, just to spite him. Fortunately, such thoughts fell easily from his mind, when he heard the young miko sigh in her sleep, though her face was clearly showing signs of sorrow. Kneeling, he ran his fingers through her dark hair, watching how the dim light of the moon shone on her skin, making her appear like a creature from the heavens. He touched her cheek, then unconsciously moved closer to… to…

Inuyasha licked his lips, but almost yelped in surprise when Kagome suddenly opened her eyes. His face turned a brilliant red, and he swivelled his head so that he would not be able to be further distracted by her, and her lips.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered, touching his shoulder.

"I… I wasn't doing anything. I was just worried about you, about your old man." He didn't want to mention out loud about how he was about to kiss her while she had been asleep.

"Oh, thank you." For some reason, seeing his face made her eyes well up in tears again. "I really didn't expect something like this to happen. I was just gone for two weeks, and then this happens. Jii-chan… he told me… he's so sick… I should have been there for him… and now… now…" she jumped into his arms, clutched at his haori and began to weep.

The hanyou held her with trembling arms, not knowing what else to do, and began to rub her back in circular motions until the young miko had calmed down to a few sniffles.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she said, her head still nestled in his chest. "I don't know what came over me."

"Baka, you're just tired." Gently picking her up, he placed Kagome on to the bed, covering her with the blanket.

"Wait…" she lifted the blanket, and smiled shyly. "Please. I don't want you to get cold sleeping on the floor." And she waited, with some hesitation, wondering if he would take up the offer. The truth was, beside from the fact she had always wanted him to be closer to her, the news of her grandfather's deteriorating health made her feel a sense of melancholy she had never felt before, save from when her father was lost to them, and now all she wanted was his comforting embrace, so that she wouldn't feel so alone in her room.

They lay together, side by side, but Inuyasha was far from sleep, as he stared at the face in front of him, his heart thumping loudly every time she smiled in her dream. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't relax with her body so close to his, touching. He gulped, while thinking why things had turned out the way they did.

And then he remembered.

His words…

_Oh shit…_

* * *

"_Inuyasha, come sit down, boy, I want to ask something of you."_

_Already by his tone, the hanyou knew that this was a serious conversation. _

"_My granddaughter, Kagome, thinks very highly of you. She comes home from your time, and do you know what she does? She starts talking about you. Inuyasha this, and Inuyasha that, on and on… She never stops."_

"_That doesn't sound like—"_

"_She really cares about you. And you do too, by the looks of it."_

_Though Inuyasha didn't verbally reply, the expression on his face did it for him._

"_You can't lie to me." He continued, "I know. I was young once too, you know. Where has the time gone, Inuyasha? Look at me, such a feeble old man, nearing death. Please don't say anything to my family, this is between us men. I know I can trust you."_

_Speechless, he sat there, unmoving, though the old man's words ran wildly through his mind, in particular, the word 'death' had caught his attention._

"_Don't look at me like that, boy. Although I do admit it came at a bad time. Kagome's always been a happy girl, and… I don't want to ruin it for her by 'going away.' It was bad enough with her father. That's why… all I want to see is my favourite granddaughter's smile. Is that too much to ask?" He grabbed the hanyou's haori sleeve, shaking it, to which in response, Inuyasha hastily shook his head. "I want to ask you, before I die... I want you to propose to her. So that I can pass on knowing that she will be happy."_

_The colour instantly drained from the hanyou's face upon hearing his words. And for the first time in his life, he found a new meaning for fear by that one word alone: Propose._

"_You will ask her, won't you, Inuyasha?" He persisted._

_

* * *

  
_

"That is a very dangerous thing to promise, especially to a dying man." Miroku said, after hearing the story of Inuyasha's dilemma. "How exactly are you going to propose to her?"

"I don't know. I never proposed to a girl before, and I never expected the old man to ask such a thing."

"And you have come to me to ask for advice. I am truly honoured, my friend, that you are willing to take me into your confidence." He grinned with some amusement when he saw Inuyasha's face redden in embarrassment. "Don't worry; it's not really _that _hard to propose to the potential woman. Look, I'll show you." Fortunately for him, Sango was sitting nearby, cleaning her Hiraikotsu with renewed fervour, after hearing the conversation between the two men. Walking to her, he kneeled down on one knee, lovingly took her hand, and with a deep, sincere voice, said: "Sango, I love you. Will you marry me?"

So red was the slayer's blush that Miroku couldn't help but grin. "See? Easy."

"What was easy?" Sango growled, pulling on one of his ears so that his grin turned into a painful grimace.

"N-nothing, my dearest," he replied, somewhat painfully. "Try it, Inuyasha. With these mere words, any man can have any woman he desires."

Inuyasha opened his mouth, made a few indistinct sounds, before closing it again. He tried again, and began stuttering, his face glowing red as a result.

"You don't have to kill yourself." Miroku said after a while, while attempting to hold on to his laughter.

"I can't do it!" he said, clenching his hands in despair. "I can't! I'm not like you. I just can't throw my words around like that."

"Well, thank goodness you're _not _houshi-sama." Sango said, yet she stepped back when Miroku's smile began to reappear on his face once more. "One of you is more than enough." She for one would not like to think how her young friend would have been able to cope if said hanyou's mind did run along the same tracks as him.

It was not a pleasant thought.

"So don't encourage him."

A hand sprang to his chest, his eyes wide with mock dismay. "Why Sango, you wound me. I was only giving him advice as any other man would. Isn't that right, my friend?"

Inuyasha nodded unsurely.

"Now you're making him nervous, houshi-sama. Inuyasha, listen, a proposal to a woman is a delicate subject, and if you can't voice it properly, then you may as well not propose to Kagome-chan at all." She quickly raised a hand before he could answer. "That's why you should write it down, some people can express their feelings better if it's written on paper." She could see by the look on his face that he was considering her idea.

"Would that work?" he asked, suddenly timid, surprising the both of them.

Sango smiled, "There's no harm in trying."

The evening was spent writing down with a wooden brush filled with fine black ink, the words which would direct Inuyasha in his confession of love, and hopefully his proposal to the young woman. Except such things were never written with ease, as the hanyou found out when Miroku and Sango began arguing about what to write as a suitable speech. The houshi suggested something romantic, but his idea of romance left Inuyasha much too embarrassed to write down.

"You can't make him say that!" Sango said, snatching the brush from his hand. "Kagome-chan would get the wrong impression." And the conversation went along the same thread, until Inuyasha decided he had enough, leaving the two of them to debate amongst themselves. With a heavy heart, he strolled up to the Goshinboku, sitting against the aged trunk of the tree, hoping the quiet sounds of rustling of the leaves would bring him the inspiration he required to write his confession.

"What are you doing, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked, hopping onto his shoulder, his eyes blinking curiously at the paper. "Ooh, a letter to Kagome. Is this the proposal you're trying to write? Miroku and Sango told me about it. It's not much is it? You only have her name written on it."

"Shut up. It's not an easy thing to write."

"But if you love her, what's so difficult about it?"

Inuyasha blushed. "It's… complicated."

The kitsune crossed his arms across his small chest. "You're so hopeless. You can't say it and you can't even write it. What's wrong with you? It's just some words. Anyone can say those words." He pouted when he saw the hanyou shut his eyes, pretending not to listen. "Look at Kouga; he came just a few days ago, claiming his love for her. He says it so easily, and poor Kagome has to listen to him and go red in embarrassment, which only encourages him more. It's disgusting. If he can say it, why can't you?"

"Because they're not just words, you brat," he snarled, picking him up by his tail. "Oh, forget it, you and everyone else don't understand." Without another word, Inuyasha dropped Shippou to the ground, his mood saddened, and wanting nothing more than to be alone in his thoughts.

"What did I do?" The small youkai asked quietly, feeling somewhat guilty from teasing the hanyou. "Is it that hard to say that he loves her?"

* * *

Inuyasha stared forlornly into the mouth of the well; almost wishing Kagome would appear from its depths and make all of his problems disappear. Only this time, the miko was the source of his current predicament. To put it lightly, he had to propose to her, thus fulfilling her grandfather's dying wish. He wasn't exactly complaining as he had always dreamt of that day when he would ask her, and that she would say yes. Yet as he already knew from past experience, even thinking about what to tell her was difficult enough, without getting lost in some wonderful dream by just looking at her face, the colour of her eyes, her smile…

He sighed, turning his head away from the well's blackness, and leaning his head onto the wooden edge. "Easy? I wish I knew how." A grim smile formed on his lips. "Maybe that's why Kagome likes Kouga better, with all those nice words he can say to her."

_I can't believe you; _a dark voice spoke to him. _You can kill a youkai ten times your superior, yet you can't even talk to a _human _girl. You're pathetic._

The hanyou's hands clawed at the wooden structure of the well, angry that his youkai conscious decided to add his own cheery comment, not to mention, to Inuyasha's chagrin, that the youkai had a point.

"Pathetic?!" he shouted defiantly, jumping to his feet. "I'll show you pathetic!" And with one hop, Inuyasha jumped into the well, allowing its mysterious magic to transport him to the era Kagome called home.

* * *

The phone sitting on the small table in the hallway rang continuously until Kagome's mother tentatively picked it up; in full knowledge of who it was on the other end.

"Hello...? ... Yes, he told him… No, Inuyasha-kun hasn't said anything to Kagome yet… These things take time… But..., is that wise? … All right, all right… Tomorrow… We'll be there…"

"Mama?" the voice of the young woman came from down the hallway, which startled the older woman to close off the conversation with the person in haste.

"Souta and I are leaving for school. Will you be alright at home?"

"Yes, dear," Luckily for Mama Higurashi, she was an expert at keeping her nerves under control, especially when her daughter was involved. "You two have a good time, and study hard." She watched her daughter slowly leave the house with her brother, closing the door so she could hide the excitement that was attempting to pull a smile on her face. Running to the kitchen, she grabbed the edge of the table and breathed in deeply to calm her mind in preparation for the special evening she had been anticipating for as long as she could remember. Though ashamed as she was, there was no doubt there was something trilling about it…

"I can't wait."

"Can't wait for what?" a voice asked, making the older woman nearly jump on to the table with fright.

"Inuyasha-kun… you're early…" she stuttered while her heart beat fluttered around wildly.

"I am?" the hanyou replied, his ears twitching in confusion.

"Would you like some tea?" She smiled, which only added to Inuyasha's confusion and growing suspicions that the woman in front of him was up to something, devious.

_Now I know where Kagome gets it from…_

With a shake of his head, the young man sat down to the cup of hot tea and rice crackers being offered. He put the cup to his lips, concentrating his gaze to the steam tickling his nose, rather than at Kagome's mother, who seemed to be staring at him with unnerving interest. Of all the things he admired about the woman, the way she was looking at him, reminded him strangely of the type of face people had when they were secretly scheming some elaborate plot just to spite him, or at least irritate him to the point of wanting to fling them through a wall, or a tree, or any other hard object, twice. Fortunately, this method was only applied to youkai.

Besides, he had a soft spot for lady of the household.

"Do you want me to help you clean the shrine or something?" He asked, wanting to stop the uncomfortable silence passing between them.

"Actually…" she began, "I was wondering if you would help me with a little bit of grocery shopping. It's been such a long time since we had a talk. It would give us a chance, because… I do want to get to know you better."

And that was how Inuyasha found himself, walking just a little behind Kagome's mother, until the woman called for him to have a look at the strange clothing behind the glass windows. Staring at all the colours and shapes of the fabrics in bored interest, the hanyou couldn't really see the fascination with the clothes the same way Mama Higurashi saw them, but he supposed there was something to be said about women and the allure of nice clothes.

Amber eyes followed in the direction she was currently pointing at, a dress she said, made with a fabric which he couldn't describe, yet its colour made him entranced, and for some reason, he could almost picture Kagome in that outfit, her eyes twinkling as she twirled around in it, the shimmering colours dancing around rhythmically in reflection with the light.

Unaware of his actions, he sighed dreamingly, which the woman noticed, and a smile knowingly covered her face.

* * *

While Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi were admiring the dresses through the shop window, across the street, an expensive, foreign-made silver car was parked next to the curb with three male occupants inside, spying on the pair through the tinted windows. One of the men, who sat at the driver's seat, stared disbelievingly at the man dressed wholly in red and wild snow-white hair.

"That's him?" he asked, his blue, mischievous eyes blinking rapidly to see if he was dreaming. "Wow, he looks so different. I guess it's true when he said he used to wear all that red. Incredible." An audible grumble came from behind him, then a snarl expressing his absolute disapproval.

"I don't see why _I _was dragged into this. You wouldn't find _me _helping that pathetic hanyou. Even after five hundred years, he still manages to look like an idiot."

"What are you talking about? It's him from five hundred years in the _past_. Besides, you have to help, or that brother of his is going to _kill _us, literally."

"Well, he should do this himself. I'm not his fucking lackey."

"You two, stop arguing." The driver said impatiently. "We have to hurry; Higurashi-san can't stay there all day. We have to act now and get him." With a twist of his wrist, the key turned and the car sprang to life, ready for action.

"No, you have to drive carefully. You might frighten him. He doesn't know that much about this era." Another reason being, that although the man sitting in the driver's seat was by no means a youkai or even half, he certainly drove like one, which he could still vividly remember from the last time he allowed the man to take the wheel.

"There's nothing to it." He smiled, his eyes grinning in boyish delight. "You don't have to worry about _my _driving. My baby can handle anything. Just worry about getting him in safely."

"Right now, I'm more worried about _my _safety—" Before he could finish his sentence, the driver stamped down on the accelerator, turned the wheel and sped off to the other side of the street, narrowly missing a few cars. And just as quickly, and somewhat maniacally, he forcibly stepped on the brakes, the screeching sounds of the tires trying to grip onto the road being music to his ears.

A split second later, two of the occupants jumped out to face a startled woman and hanyou, the latter unfortunately, quickly getting over his shock and was preparing his fists for the attack.

Inuyasha growled, his fangs gleaming white in anger, cursing to all the kami for not bringing his Tessaiga with him.

"Oh no, you don't." The man on his right said. "It's time to sleep now, Inuyasha," and from the inside of his jacket, he pulled out what the hanyou could only describe as one of the stink pellets Sango was most fond on using. He covered his nose with his large red sleeve in vain, but as he coughed from the irritating smells assaulting his nose, his world soon became dizzy, blurry, and then, black.

Mama Higurashi stared at the prone body on the ground, unable to even scream from terror, as the two men picked him up, shoved him into the backseat, and hopped into the car before it drove off at top speed down the road, disappearing around the corner.

"What have I done?" she whispered to herself, her legs feeling weak yet still strong enough to lean against the wall. "My goodness, what have I done?"

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

The Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Grandfather's Last Request – Part Two

* * *

Kagome half-heartedly ate the cheese burger while she stared out of the window, watching the world go by with little interest. The whole day she had felt miserable, and guilty for not coming home sooner. All she could think about was her sick grandfather, lying there looking sadly back at her, the twinkle in his eyes, gone. She hadn't even noticed when her friends took her to the fast food restaurant in hopes they could encourage her to speak about what was on her mind, but all her replies were nothing but mumbles and a few sighs.

"I've never seen her so depressed before."

"Maybe it's her foreign boyfriend."

"No way, he seems like a nice boyfriend, picks her up after school and everything."

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" Ayumi asked. "Is everything alright with your family?"

"What?" Startled back into reality, Kagome dropped her burger, shaken by her friend's question. Quickly, she recovered from her shock, hiding all signs of distress with a smile. "I... I-I have to get home. I'll see you tomorrow!" And then she was gone in flash through the doors of WacDonald's.

"Wha-what just happened?"

"Poor, Kagome-chan." Ayumi whispered, sipping quietly on her soft drink.

* * *

The first thing Inuyasha recognised as he slowly regained consciousness was a constant noise buzzing in his ears, and the wind blowing irritably at his face. He wasn't sure what to make of it: he couldn't see, couldn't move any of his limbs, and worst of all, he had the worst headache he ever had, which could only be explained as having an all night sake competition with Miroku. Except the more he thought about it, he realised he never drank, or at least afford to drink it in vast quantities. So he tried to move again, and found there was something heavy covering his body, much like Kagome's blanket when he had slept under it not too long ago. _Kagome... _Her name brought comfort to him, and his body began to relax at the thought he was in her bed, sleeping next to her. A small smile appeared on his face as his nose twitched a little, taking in every scent that entered his nose, only to have his face scrunch up at the wave of a very familiar smell. Something he thought was not even possible.

His eyes snapped open, not even caring if the light flooded his vision all too quickly, or the strange shapes hovering over him and calling his name. Murder coursed through his veins, and the person who was going to receive it fell from his lips.

"That fucking... Goddamn bastard!"

"Inuyasha, calm down!" a voice called out.

A second passed, long enough for the hanyou to see the person's neck, and his own hands wrapping around it. "Calm down? **Calm down?!** I'd rather kill you, than calm down, you fucking piece of shit!"

"Wait...," the young man struggled against Inuyasha's grip, his green eyes darting nervously between him and his surroundings. "Don't you recognise me?" The confused look on his face told him to continue, and so he did, for fear that the irate hanyou would surely keep to his threat. "I'm Shippou." And it had its affect as Inuyasha loosened his grip, staring at him with disbelieving amber eyes.

"Shippou?" he said slowly, taking a step back to examine the person in front of him. He was dressed strangely, like many of the people in Kagome's era. His short, orange hair and bright green eyes jolted some familiar memory, but when he saw the boy smile, he knew then that this was too bizarre to be any ordinary dream. "Y-you can't be Shippou. You're supposed to be small... and..., and have a bushy tail."

"Oh, I've still got the tail. I hide it with my magic. I'll show you if you like."

Before Inuyasha could blink, 'Shippou' burst into a puff of smoke and then reappeared much the same, with the addition of a long, golden furred tail, and legs which looked like the hind legs of a fox. "See, it is me. Are you convinced now?"

Cautiously, he took a step forward, studying the teenage kitsune with scrutiny, like a calculating hunter, which made poor Shippou more nervous with each passing second, his tail twitching around nervously under his piercing gaze. They stood there, locked into a staring contest, though it was Shippou who wanted to look away, or at least say something that would distract the hanyou long enough for him to explain the situation.

Yet he couldn't. Because by the time Shippou managed to make the tiniest of sounds, Inuyasha had already raised his fist, and brought it down again in a punch, knocking the kitsune out in one hit.

In a panic, Inuyasha's eyes hurriedly scanned the room, looking for an exit. However, the room was designed in a way he was not used to. Nothing like Kagome's home, and far from anything he had seen in their travels in the Sengoku jidai, but there was something he did see that made him stop from physically making an exit, a door, almost hidden by the same soft coloured walls of the room. Thanking his luck, he made for the door, clasped the handle, and found to his dismay, that it was locked. Trying the handle again, he was about to curse, when he heard footsteps and something clicking on the other side. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but his instincts told him that whoever was on the other side was going to open the locked door, and that he had to find a way to escape. Backing to the wall, he saw a tall object beside him, a large white vase, decorated with swirls and lines of pale blue. Not having any other suitable weapon, he picked it up easily by its neck, raised it high above his head, and then waited for something to happen.

The door opened, and another man walked inside, his hair black, short and stylised, his eyes the most intense shade of blue he had ever seen. If he didn't know any better, his eyes reminded him of...

"Kouga!" in reply, the man turned, looking as shocked as the hanyou was, even more so when Inuyasha decided to bring down the heavy Ming vase violently down onto his head, momentarily stunning the man, and leaving Inuyasha enough time to escape down the hallway.

"Kouga?" the kitsune asked, his head still smarting from Inuyasha's punch.

"He didn't just hit me with that big vase did he? The one that cost millions of yen, did he?"

They both looked down at the shattered pieces of porcelain decorating the floor, and then at the monstrous four poster bed which belonged to the master of the house, its silk sheets flung around most untidily. Their worried faces then trailed to the door, quietly watching the blur of red and silver fly towards the stairway.

"Shippou..." a man's voice spoke from the headset placed neatly over the kitsune's ear. "Is he awake yet?"

"More than awake," he replied, rubbing the lump on his head.

There was a long pause, then, "I see. He didn't... break anything, did he?"

"Of course not," Kouga said, almost too hurriedly. "The bastard just ran off when the runt tried to wake him up. But we'll catch him."

"No. Just try to get him into my study. I will deal with him."

"Easier said than done," the ookami grumbled when the voice cut off their communication. Never in his life did he know just how fast the young hanyou was, especially when in the panicked need to escape. He had almost anticipated a fist fight between his old rival, yet when the vase came crashing down on his head, well, he was lucky that the vase hadn't been made out of concrete. Now all he could think of while he ran down the stairs was one thing:

"If I get him, I want to punch him first."

* * *

Peering through the crack of the closet door, Inuyasha searched the area for any signs of danger, and the two people who he had the pleasure of meeting. He didn't know who they were, even though their names and faces matched, he didn't really want to consider the possibility that they had grown up and were now living in the modern era. The confusion that was playing with his mind couldn't really care less about this revelation, not to mention the kidnapping, Shippou and Kouga chasing him down for no apparent reason – though he suspected it was not going to do him any favours – and the numerous rooms and corridors mapped out like a maze did nothing to soothe his temper. He knew that it probably would've been a better idea to have stayed and let them talk, but since when had they ever given him such niceties. All he wanted was to get out and find a way back to Kagome's house. How he was going to achieve this, he had no idea. The windows didn't want to open the way he wanted, and even if they did, the grounds below were a different obstacle all together without those idiots chasing him.

Finding his chance at last, he crept out of the door, sniffing the air for any signs of danger before he tried anything hasty, and carefully, he made for the stairs.

"Hey! There he is!"

"Shit." Inuyasha's urge to fight back was growing, yet so was his urge to run, when to his horror, he saw Kouga approach him from one end of the corridor and Shippou from the other, running full speed towards him. "Shit..." and he began to wonder what wrong he had done in his life to deserve such a fate from the kami.

"This would've been a lot easier if you'd just listened to us." Shippou called out, ready to pounce.

"Keh!" with one leap, he jumped over their heads, landed on the floor and rushed down the stairs to the lower level, while the kitsune and ookami followed close behind him, cursing the hanyou's nimbleness.

Frantically, his amber eyes scanned the large room from behind the stairwell, and relief flooded into them when he spied the large door, which with all large doors of expensive houses, he associated them as being the exit of the building. Oddly enough though, he didn't dare run to safety, as he found he couldn't hear the footsteps of the two men anymore, and he didn't like it at all. Raising his head, he sniffed the air, and it was now he noticed the familiar scent that had been plaguing him ever since he woke up from that bed. He would have paid more attention if it hadn't been for his fleeing instincts, however, now it was too late to contemplate its meaning, when he found his own feet betraying him, walking towards the direction of the scent where it was the most strongest.

He approached the door, which was slightly ajar, allowing him to take a glimpse of what was inside. The door opened noiselessly as he slipped inside, the scent definitely stronger, as if the person was in the very same room as he was.

"Well, otouto, so nice to see you again."

* * *

Kagome arrived at the shrine, exhausted, her eyes focussing on the house. She didn't know why, but she was hesitant to enter her home and face her family inside. Perhaps she was still feeling the disbelief of the knowledge that her grandfather had been taken suddenly ill, a prospect she couldn't quite comprehend, mainly because he was known as a generally healthy person who liked to keep himself busy with cleaning and organising the shrine. Now he was bedridden, and truthfully she didn't know if she should have felt frightened, or suspicious.

_Don't be stupid, Kagome. You shouldn't be suspicious of your own grandfather. He's the one who makes all those excuses so that you can skip school and run away with your boyfriend._

"He's not my boyfriend."

_If you say so, but who was the one who invited him to the comfort of _your bed _last night? A bold move, girl, for someone who denies that Inuyasha means anything to you... _

"Shut up."

"What? Why?" Souta asked, making Kagome jump in surprise. The boy looked at her, his face very much like a frightened child, clutching at her uniform sleeve for comfort. "Jii-chan will get better, won't he?"

A simple question, asked so innocently, yet it left Kagome's mouth dry and unable to answer. There was no way to tell him her thoughts about their grandfather, let alone tell him a lie to ease his heart, and perhaps make their situation more bearable. So the best she could do was to hug him, and hope that he wouldn't start crying.

"Come on," she said after a while, lightly rubbing her knuckles against his hair, much to his annoyance. "Let's go and cheer him up." Hand in hand, they walked into the house, and were greeted by their mother, who looked a little less depressed, though the dark shadows under her eyes told them much, as she directed them to the small table in the living room for some snacks she had bought earlier.

Mama Higurashi smiled, watching her two children like any loving mother would. Being a simple and gentle woman, nothing made her happier, than seeing her little family, simply content to be together. She knew things were a little strained at the moment; her babies were not their mischievous and warm selves after hearing about her father's ailment – in which her feelings of guilt pricked lightly at her conscious – nevertheless, soon, everything would turn out fine, and if possible with her influence, for the better.

The two children chanced a look at each other, a message passing between them while they casually nibbled at the bean-filled snacks. Glad as they were sitting and eating as a family, some things were noticeably different, things which children always recognised straight away.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, looking around the room for the hanyou, while tactfully not looking at her mother's, if she were to adequately describe it, secretive smile. For some reason, she didn't like it at all. Especially when the older woman replied by merely blinking innocently and telling her he had something important to do, and that he wouldn't be back until much later, an explanation which didn't warrant any further suspicions about the matter.

Of course, Kagome could never believe such a blatant lie, since from past experience, Inuyasha was never one to reveal his secret excursions to anyone, lest he thought he would only embarrass himself if anyone would find out. It made no difference whether they were here or over on the other side of the well. The hanyou kept his secrets as though they were his very soul, no matter how kind a person was, or how long she, her friends in the Sengoku jidai, or her family knew him.

Inuyasha was stubborn that way.

With that in mind, she said little else about the topic, choosing to go to her room to complete some homework for school the next day, and to contemplate the recent happenings in the Higurashi household, until she was called down again for dinner a few hours later.

Once again, they ate in silence, only this time to Kagome's surprise, jii-chan was at the table with them, still a little pale, yet she was glad to see that he had regained some strength to sit up and eat.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, jii-chan."

The old man smiled. "I'm sorry to have made you so worried, Kagome. I hate being sick. It makes one realise so many things. Like when I was a younger man and you two were only small, running around, laughing, teasing me how I couldn't run as fast as you," he sighed, shaking his head. "A time where I was actually worried about getting old and not seeing you two grow up... But I'm getting off the topic. I want to give you something special. Think of it as an early birthday present for my favourite granddaughter."

Bewilderment was only one of the words which described how the young girl was feeling at that moment, seeing his wrinkled face stretch into a smile, while he handed her the strangest of gifts she had ever received from him in her life. She blinked at the normal looking gift box with the pink satin ribbon tied elegantly around it, unsure if she was actually dreaming that her grandfather was actually giving her a normal gift instead of lucky dragon whiskers or the hand of a kappa, or the fact that he was truly ill and was giving her a... parting gift, something she did not even want to think about. Carefully, her fingers wrapped around the ribbon, pulling it loose before lifting the lid of the box.

"What is it? What is it?" Souta exclaimed excitedly, watching the delicate tissue paper fall away, revealing what appeared to be a dress, flowing soft silk chiffon, coloured in hues of pink and burgundy, and a gift so unexpected, Kagome almost dropped it on the kitchen floor.

"You don't like it?" Her grandfather asked, after seeing her face change from shock to confusion and then back again.

"I... I-I...," she began awkwardly, and then frowning, said, "How did you know my dress size?"

"Ah, well, to tell you the truth... I had been saving this present for a long time... in case something ever happened to me. I thought now would be an appropriate time to give it to you."

Everyone had their eyes on the young girl, who in turn had her eyes gazing blankly at the pretty dress, wondering what exactly took place a few minutes ago. If she had noticed her grandfather hadn't even attempted to answer her question, Kagome would've told him off, if not for the feel of the fabric between her fingertips, and the sudden dreamy thoughts covering her vision, mostly of how she would look in it.

Thoughts which lasted for a few seconds before she gasped, shoving the garment back into the box, "Th-thank you, jii-chan. It's... beautiful... and...," and the cursed tears began to well up in her eyes, the bout of emotion flooding into her voice, "**You baka! How could you? You're dying, damn it! And you think giving me a nice dress is going to solve everything?! I hate you!!" **In a huff, she stomped off to her room, leaving the rest of the family no less than stunned, until Souta turned to the old man, saying,

"Where's my present, jii-chan?"

* * *

Inuyasha stood frozen, his back against the door, unable to believe his eyes, and ears. The figure stood tall and imposing, silhouetted against the bright light streaming through the large window, speaking in the exact same voice he always dreaded.

"S-Sesshoumaru...?"

"You are not happy to see me?" the man replied, walking gracefully towards him in cat-like strides.

"Not really, no. Unless I'm dreaming, and if I am, seeing you in it is usually not a good sign." Sidestepping along the wall, he eyed the man sceptically, first at his face which did not display any of his usual markings, at his hair tied back in a neat ponytail, and then at his eyes, which funnily enough, were the same cold shade of amber he remembered from the last time he had the pleasure of meeting his pompous arsehole of a brother.

"Really," he inhaled slowly, and then breathed out a sigh. "However, currently I am not in a joking mood, Inuyasha. I wish to discuss something of great importance, concerning your future. Yes... Come and sit down. No? Would you like a drink then? Brandy...? Port...?"

The hanyou shook his head, not really believing that it was Sesshoumaru who stood in front of him, inspecting him by grabbing his chin and then turning it from side to side, making sounds of approval or disapproval every now and then. He couldn't react, or swipe his hand away in anger; Inuyasha was just too overwhelmed by all the happenings that he wished he was dreaming, that Shippou and Kouga had not kidnapped him and brought him – from the scent which permeated through the very air – to his older brother's home.

"No. You are not dreaming." He said in reply to his silent question. "Yes, they have brought you at my request, as a favour."

"Who are 'they'? And what favour?"

"All in due time, otouto, but please, do sit down and have a drink. You look like you are about to faint. And don't give me that look. My intentions are pure."

"Keh, I doubt that." He took a sniff of the strange, orange brown liquid in the small glass, and blanched when the wave of alcohol hit all of his senses, making him slightly dizzy. "So if you are really real, and I'm really here... Then those guys... they're not really... are they? They didn't really... kidnap me, did they?"

"Shit, inukkoro, I can't believe how dense you are!" Kouga shouted, flying through the door. "We waste all this time, and—"

"That is quite enough, Kouga. He has every right to be in denial, after all, just about an hour before, he was looking at dresses with Kagome's mother, were you not, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha straightened up in his seat, his ears stiffening at his words. "What are you getting at, Sesshoumaru? How do you know all this? I hope this isn't one of _your _schemes."

The youkai's mouth pulled up into a smirk, "Why, what do you mean by that? Surely you are not suspicious of your own brother?"

"Well, after that little trick you played on me using the image of my dead mother, suspicion doesn't begin to describe it."

"You stab me. That was a long, long time ago." The look on his younger brother's face nearly managed to amuse him, if not for the fact that he was a dignified man... youkai in a cultured society. "Now, to get on with the subject, we have squandered enough time already. Simply put, I have been asked to assist you, in your otherwise... lack of romance in your life." His eyes darted when he heard the ookami sniggering, and cast a warning glare for him to leave, and for Shippou to fetch some tea for his young guest. "Apparently some people are worried."

"I don't know why," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms in indignation. "It's not like I would die just because I couldn't... well...," he blushed as his sentence finished in a mumble.

"That's where you're wrong, my dear little brother. If you don't propose to Kagome before her grandfather passes on, something... terrible may happen to you."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked warily.

"You know what I mean." He replied, lazily cracking his knuckles for effect. "But I have said too much already, client confidentiality and all that. I am here to help you, so that your proposal goes as smoothly as possible."

"You make it sound like a fucking contract."

To his surprise, Sesshoumaru actually laughed. It was a laugh that rang rich and deep, echoing in the interior of his study, a laugh that provoked some long forgotten memory buried deep within his childhood, a laugh that made Inuyasha have an irrational sensation of wanting to punch him in the mouth. A sensation made worse when the man's smirk grew more vicious, reminding the hanyou how much of a dick he could be whenever he was allowed to think about his 'pure intentions'.

A dull ringing noise was heard from behind the door, followed soon after by Shippou entering through the doorway, carrying a silver tray and a tea set on top. Boyishly, the kitsune smiled, pouring the hot tea into the china cups, catching a glimpse of the hanyou who was staring somewhat cautiously back at him, probably thinking if he was truly who he said he was, which was understandable, considering it was not everyday someone had the chance of meeting the same person from different timelines all in the same day. He had been thrilled when word came around that Inuyasha was coming to Sesshoumaru's house, even more so when he was asked to assist in his... kidnapping. Admittedly, it was a strange feeling seeing him face to face, looking not much older than he. He was as he remembered him, the bump on his head proved it.

"You wouldn't believe how long I've waited for this day. To see you sitting here... all in that red, it's incredible. I mean, after you..."

"Shippou..." Sesshoumaru warned, tapping his clawed fingers on the mahogany desk. "Inuyasha does not need to know that." But he knew when the words left the kitsune's mouth; it was already too late to stop piquing Inuyasha's growing curiosity, with his eyes now showing the many uncomfortable questions he wanted to ask. If by chance he found out anything about his past, there would be no doubt that it would endanger them all.

It was time for a distraction.

"Would you like some tea? It's camomile, very good for relaxing the nerves which may cause one to become irritable."

"I am not irritable." He retorted, sipping the hot brew while glaring at his brother, who still refused to say anything further, except to nonchalantly drink his tea and run his elegant hand through his silvery locks. "I just find it hard to comprehend that you, my brother, the same brother who disowned me for having tainted blood of a human, tricked me into believing you had brought my mother back to life, poked a finger into my eye to get a black pearl to get to Tessaiga, was constantly after said weapon, almost killed me numerous of times by stabbing me or poisoning me, and now after all this time, you're saying you want to _help _me? What kind of shit are you trying to pull?!"

"My dear otouto, I am not pulling anything. I only want to help you. Why can you not accept that? And I am not looking for forgiveness, whatever you may think. Times change, Inuyasha, and when one has a lifespan such as mine, seeing the world change, watching people grow and die throughout the ages, it gives one time to think, reflect on life.

"And one day, I realised, I did you a great wrong. I wanted to tell you, however... Well... let's just say, I found out there was a difference between hanyou and youkai blood." He fell silent, turning away from the young hanyou so that he could not see how the overwhelming emotion of seeing his face again affected him – which Sesshoumaru never thought could happen to someone like him. He hoped Inuyasha could feel the same agony he could feel, the same emptiness he felt when he knew that his own blood brother was lost to him, and the guilt when he realised the rift between them could not be repaired.

Obviously it worked, because now the hanyou sat uncomfortably in the chair, clawing at the edges of the seat, all the unnecessary questions he had wanted to ask quashed and replaced by the need to leave or at least a change of subject which was less depressing.

"So, if I were to go along with this, what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Nothing, I will take care of everything. A marriage proposal takes preparation, and from the looks of it, you need all the preparations you can get. I'll take you home, before that woman of yours gets worried."

Later, after a tour of the whole house, at Inuyasha's insistence, ever since he found out that his brother was living in the era along with Shippou and Kouga, he wanted to see out of curiosity, what kind of life his brother was living, in a world where most of the population were now filled with humans, and that most of the forests he could see were tall buildings of dreary shades of grey and glass. His eyes filled with wonderment at every room he saw, each room appearing much bigger than the last, and decorated in the most expensive and luxurious of furniture, sculptures, and paintings of oriental landscapes. Sesshoumaru didn't contribute much to the conversation, preferring to stand against the wall with the most bored expression he had ever seen, which allowed Shippou to do most of the talking and explaining of the architecture and objects of the house, or mansion, as the kitsune called it.

But all too soon, night had fallen, and to Shippou's disappointment, the older brother had become more insistent that the time had come for the young hanyou to go home.

"Tomorrow, Shippou," and with those final words, Sesshoumaru ushered Inuyasha into the backseat of the car, taking the seat next to him, then knocking at the tinted screen in front of them, signalling the driver that they were ready to leave.

Pressing his nose against the car window, Inuyasha watched the scenery whiz by, entranced by how fast the shapes were travelling, becoming unrecognisable smears like some of the paintings in his brother's house. It was a bizarre sensation, the feeling of movement around him while he did not move at all, a feeling which his stomach agreed upon, and it forced him to withdraw from the window, closing his eyes in attempts to not think about it, though it didn't necessarily make him feel any better.

"I felt the same way when I first rode in these human-made vehicles." Sesshoumaru commented when he saw the hanyou's form slouching miserably on the car seat. "You'll soon get used to it."

It was only when the car reached its destination at the shrine, did Inuyasha feel the relief wash over him as he opened the door to let the cool breeze flow over his face.

"Remember; be up early tomorrow morning, where we will discuss your strategy. And, oh, before I forget, do not say anything to Kagome about today, or the fact that you have met us."

"Why?"

"Not a word, otouto. Kagome is a woman, and women are prone to gossiping. This is strictly between us men. Only tell her you want to take her out to dinner tomorrow." He then nodded his head, bidding farewell to his brother. "I'll see you then. Goodnight."

"Bye, Inuyasha!"

The voice of the driver made Inuyasha spin around in fright, but the car had already sped off down the street, too late for him to see who it was, and too late to see if his mind was playing tricks, or that the familiar voice he had heard really belonged to a person who he thought only existed on the other side of the well. Yet in all possibility, knowing him and his amorous ways, it didn't seem that farfetched. Either that or the odd events of the day were taking a toll on him.

"It can't be... can it?" Bounding up the shrine steps, he decided it was best to forget about it, seeing that he would have to face... whatever he had to face tomorrow, and he was pretty sure, with all his luck, it was going to be one hectic day. And to think just yesterday he only had to propose to Kagome. He never would have guessed how such a simple request had turned into some elaborate plot, more complex than any war plan. Perhaps he should've followed Miroku's advice, after all the craziness that had happened today, his straightforward approach appeared the most sensible, and sane.

"Who am I kidding? I can't even do that." He whispered to himself, mulling over why things were always so difficult whenever Kagome was involved. His eyes gazed upwards to the girl's window, the ears on top of his head drooping when he saw the light illuminating behind the closed curtains, a sign that she was in her room, still studying for yet another test.

_Maybe she's too busy... _

If it were any other day, he would have been more than happy to see her face again, except today was not like any other day, and he was dreading to see her concerned face and questioning eyes. Jumping onto the ledge, hoping that she would be at least preoccupied with her studies, Inuyasha silently opened the window and slid inside, finding to his astonishment, Kagome was not at her desk at all, but sitting on her bed, her attentions directed at a box which was placed on her lap.

"Kagome...?"

"Oh!" she cried out, visibly shaken by his voice bringing her back to reality. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I-I... uh... you're busy aren't you?"

Kagome gave him a little smile, inviting him to sit next to her. "I tried to be, but I couldn't concentrate. I only wanted a break, Inuyasha. I never asked for jii-chan to be so ill."

"It's not your fault, if that's what you're thinking. People get old, it's to be expected."

"I know," she said, leaning onto his shoulder. "Still, to see him suffering... And that's not all of it, look. Isn't it beautiful?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened in that instant, recognising the same coloured dress he had seen from the shop window. The dress he had imagined Kagome wearing, now in her small hands, idly playing with the fabric.

"How did...?" The colour drained from his face, feeling suddenly afraid. What did this all mean?

"That idiot, instead of giving me some random dead animal, he gives me this dress. It's not fair. I don't want him to die." She gasped when she felt his arms wrap around her, his warmth, comforting, enough for her troubles to vanish, if merely for a short while, but it was enough. Closing her eyes, she snuggled against him, returning his embrace, and nearly missed his softly spoken, yet nervous words.

"D-do you want to go someplace for dinner tomorrow? Somewhere nice, so you can relax for a bit, unless you're busy."

"Tomorrow, well, I have school for half a day..." she blinked, and then paused, thinking over his question. "Somewhere nice...? Dinner...? Relax...? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not sure. You just look so stressed out. I thought... Please?"

Kagome had never seen his expression so pleading, that she temporarily forgot how to speak, and the longer the pause persisted, the more uncomfortable the hanyou became, until he had to look away, embarrassed. Lightly, she touched his face, drawing it along his cheek, slowly coaxing him out of his discomfiture.

"What were you thinking? Of course I'll go out with you." She said with a giggle, only realising much later in the early hours of the morning that Inuyasha had asked her out... on a date.

_Oh..._

* * *

"Aren't you coming to bed yet?" The woman sleepily asked her husband, who was at his desk, his hand stopping short at the buttons of the telephone.

"In a minute, my dear," he replied, his voice still suave despite being two o'clock in the morning. "I have to make a very important phone call to my friend."

"If you say so," she said, rolling her eyes.

The man smiled, turning his attention back to the phone, purposely dialling a number he knew would signify the beginning of trouble. Patiently he waited as it continued to ring, and when the person on the other end finally did pick up, the grin on his face widened.

To be continued...

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

The Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Grandfather's Last Request – Part Three

* * *

The ringing of the telephone echoed painfully in his ears as he was rudely brought out from his pleasant dream to the darkness of his bedroom. Groaning, he tried to cover his ears with the blanket, refusing to be woken up by one of the most useless things his wife insisted they buy as a necessity.

"Wake up... the phone..." his wife nudged him drowsily.

"No, I don't want to..." He sighed in relief when the ringing finally stopped, only to have it start all over again, somehow sounding much louder than before.

"It must be important if they're ringing twice... Do you want me to get it?"

"No... No, I'll get it." Forcing himself out of bed, his feet dragged along the floor, finding his way to the accursed piece of plastic called the telephone. He picked it up, opened his mouth to speak, but the person on the other end was quicker.

"Hello?" the cheery voice chirped. "Are you awake?"

"No." he said tersely, the feeling of wanting to strangle the person who owned such a perky voice growing with each second that passed.

"Good." The other man replied, unfazed by his friend's poorly suppressed anger. "Want to hear what happened today? It is truly an earth-shattering story."

"I doubt that."

"It involves your brother."

The man's eyes snapped opened, now wide awake, the mentioning of his brother pulling his senses into full alertness. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, staring into the mouthpiece as if daring the thing to answer.

"Your brother... has decided to play matchmaker."

The deathly silence that followed after the man had finished his story was not unexpected; however, he would safely say that the evening would certainly turn out to be one very interesting date.

* * *

Sesshoumaru laid comfortably on his enormous bed, his eyes closed, blocking out all the images of reality, and focussing on the past from long ago, particularly one incident which had haunted him for as long as he could remember.

Memories trickled in, one by one, until he opened his eyes and found himself as a much younger youkai, dressed in elaborate armour and majestic moko-moko, his long, silvery hair flowing easily with the cool breeze of the evening. He had walked to the forest, a place where his younger brother had spent most of his life, with one objective on his mind. Being a creature blessed with a long life, he had been through much, and seen things and remembered events of the country's history which no man or youkai would have cared to remember. Sesshoumaru was a proud Tai-youkai, who did not concern himself with anybody lower than his class, which included almost about everybody in the whole of the country, and he certainly did not concern himself with the bastard known as his ill-bred, half-brother, Inuyasha.

Since the day he was born, his life had taken for the worst, and he blamed it all on the hanyou. There was not a day that went by without his planning of revenge on him, to make his life as unbearable as possible, for taking away everything that was important to the youkai, and to show him just how worthless he was to the world. Yet, when Inuyasha decided to retaliate, it became a never-ending war between the two, each refusing to give in to the other.

He breathed in, and caught a scent which was the most familiar to him.

_Blood...?_

And there he found him, huddled against the old well, covered in blood, his and of his slain enemies, hardly moving.

The Tai-youkai never knew why Inuyasha had an unhealthy obsession with the dried up well, but all his thoughts vanished when he saw the person's eyes open, showing the dim gold, looking passively back at him.

_"Sesshoumaru...?" _Inuyasha asked wearily._ "Go away. Can't you see I'm dying?"_

_"Yes. Your stench told me as much." _He saw his younger brother smile wryly, a smile which always managed to annoy him. _"How could you have let something like this...?"_

_"She went away. I made her go away. I told her, she would have had a better life back there, where she lived... family, friends... and nice things that I could never provide for her. I told her... that she... she would find someone... someone better than me..."_

_"Then you are as foolish as you are weak."_

_"Well... what did you expect? I'm only a hanyou..."_

It was the last thing he heard his brother say, before he closed his eyes for the last time. Haunting words, said by the one whom he did not want to hear from. The final acceptance of his weakness only made the older brother grip harder at his shoulders, trying to force him to awaken, but to no avail. Finally, solemnly, he gingerly picked the hanyou up, his nerves shaken by the irony of it all. That Inuyasha had died, just as their father had died, all because they had been in love with their mortal women.

He stole a look at his brother, seeing that his face looked much younger than he remembered, like a child, his only brother, lost to him now.

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Really?"_ the irritated voice of his brother caused Sesshoumaru to look down at him in shock. _"If you are really sorry, then you should pick up the fucking phone. It's killing my ears."_

The youkai's eyes snapped opened, with the dream still vivid in his mind, much like the phone, which was incessantly ringing its high pitched melody. Seeing the little screen flash, he stared blearily at it, and chose to ignore it when he saw the ID number. He sighed when the ringing stopped, lying back on the bed to get some much needed sleep in preparation for the morning. Though peace and quiet were luxuries which no one seemed willing to give to him, because by the time he had closed his eyes, the phone started to ring again, along with his mobile phone that not only rung its annoying tune but also vibrated noisily on the bedside table.

With a frustrated roll of his eyes, he lightly picked up the receiver, and immediately knew from the angry tones of his voice that came out from the mouthpiece, that some human idiot did not know how to keep his secret plan, secret, and now _he_ had to deal with this person.

"Well, good morning to you too, Inuyasha."

"Who the fuck gave you permission to meddle with my love life?!"

Sesshoumaru smiled, taking a deliberate pause before answering. "Why, I gave myself permission, otouto. And as your older brother, I have every right to meddle in your love life." He paused again, enjoying the muffled, livid, grumblings of his little brother. If there was one thing that amused him – although a childish amusement he knew – it was how easily he could irritate the hanyou. It was like he had issued him a challenge, and like the stubborn person Inuyasha was, he had accepted without question.

"If you're looking for a fight..."

"Perhaps..." but the phone had cut off before he could finish his response.

* * *

A few hours later in the Higurashi household, Inuyasha woke up to find he had spent another night sleeping in Kagome's bed, and that his arms were wrapped around the young miko, as if this was the most natural thing to do between a loving couple. He gasped when the realisation hit upon him, and yet, he didn't want to let her go as he thought she would awaken if he tried to move, but more importantly, he didn't want to lose Kagome's warmth from him.

_Poor Kagome..._ Timidly, he ran his fingertips across her fringe and down her cheek, the only thing he felt he could do without her knowing.

Even though Inuyasha knew he had the old man's blessing... well, more like the dying wish of Kagome's grandfather, that didn't mean he felt any less nervous around her. There was something about her that made him feel so awkward, so confused about his own actions and words. He had a hard enough time expressing his thoughts, yet whenever the woman would look at him with those blue-grey eyes of hers; he could never seem to say the right things in her presence. It was different when they were fighting with some youkai, or even Naraku. In those sorts of situations he generally knew what he was doing. However, on any other normal day, when they were alone, one look, one accidental touch of their hands, made him lose all of his concentration, and he would end up not knowing what do next. Worst of all, everyone, including his brother, had decided to play the matchmaker, and truthfully it was beginning to scare him. To him, it all seemed like a game, a notion which he did not like at all.

The thought passed when he heard something tap at the window. His canine ears flicked at the sound, then flicked again when he heard the same sound hitting the window. Frowning and reluctantly getting out of the bed, he softly padded to the window, sliding it open to see what was making the noise.

"Hey, down here!"

Inuyasha peered down, and saw a man, standing tall and confident. A man who strangely looked like... Shaking his head and then rubbing his eyes, he stared out the window.

"Good morning, Inuyasha! I'm here to pick you up."

The hanyou continued to stare at the smiling young man with bright blue eyes and short dark hair tied neatly at the base of his neck, before closing the window and shutting the curtains to block out the sight before him.

"I did not see that."

"See what?" Kagome asked sleepily. "I heard someone talking...is it a trespasser?"

"I-It's nothing, Kagome. I'll go out and fix it." Glad that the miko was too drowsy to notice that anything was wrong, Inuyasha quickly dashed out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door of the house to see if he had been dreaming, without even noticing that three pairs of eyes had been watching him hurriedly exit through the door.

"There you are. For a minute there, I was beginning to get worried."

"M... M... Miroku?" he said suspiciously. "H-how did you get here?"

"By car, of course," the man answered, his eyes twinkling with humour.

"You're lying, bonzu. There's no way you could have gone through the well and ended up here."

"The well, what well? Oh right." 'Miroku' chuckled. "You have it all wrong. I am Miroku, but not the one you are thinking of. It's a long story. Let's go, I have the car waiting, and ah, my baby gets impatient if we keep her waiting."

"Your bay-bee...? What?" Dumbfounded, the hanyou allowed the man to grab his wrist and drag him down the stairs of the shrine to the silver car parked beside the curb. Eyeing the dark haired man who stood in front of him, he realised how uncanny the similarities were between this Miroku, and the pervert from five hundred years back. He then blinked, contemplating the possibility of his personality being the same as well, and couldn't help being spooked by such an idea. _It couldn't be... It's not possible..._

"I didn't mean to be so rude and not introduce myself before. It's just Sesshoumaru thought it would have been a better idea for us not to meet. Anyway," he continued, with a dismissive wave of his hand, "how could I not meet you, when you have already met my baby."

"What're you talking about?"

"My baby, the car you see before you. Isn't she beautiful? I mean look at her, sleek, firm body, silvery smooth skin, and the nicest rear that could ever exist on a car. Touch it, Inuyasha; see how firm the bottom is?"

Indeed, Inuyasha did touch the car's rear, as the man didn't give him much of a choice when he took his hand and made it run along the edges of the vehicle in a loving, caressing manner, which made the hanyou feel suddenly very dirty inside.

"Are you all right? You're all pale."

"You see, this was why I did not allow you to meet him." Sesshoumaru said, his presence materialising from out of nowhere. "Do not listen to him, otouto. Once he starts talking about his car, he never stops. So let us leave it at that, right now. We have a big day ahead of us, and I do not want my brother to be traumatised by your 'stories', Miroku." And so the conversation was left hanging in the air, with Miroku silently starting the car and Sesshoumaru sitting next to Inuyasha with an expression that the hanyou could only describe as sour – an expression he never knew his brother could convey.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a house on the outer skirts of Tokyo, surrounded by a dense forest, the occupants of the house were in the daily routine of eating a pleasant breakfast in the company of each other.

The woman looked at her husband, who was drumming his fingers on the wooden table, with a scowl on his face.

"I take it that the phone call from your brother didn't go so well."

The man stopped halfway from eating his pickled radish. "How did you know?"

"You always have that look every time you talk to him. What did he say to you this time?"

"Keh," he replied, looking outside at the small garden, refusing to notice the concerned eyes of his wife.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered while drawing her toes along his leg. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Bad?" he retorted. "Of all his schemes, this is... the worst. Can you believe it? For some reason, he wants to play matchmaker."

"Why does he want to do that?"

"I don't know. He's organised the whole dinner, and everything."

"Wow." She smiled, chewing thoughtfully at her rice. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stop him." The hanyou stood up determinedly, straightening out his shirt, and was about to leave through the door, when he was stopped by his wife.

"You can't." She said, holding a finger to his lips before he could answer. "Not without me."

He grinned, kissing her hand. "It wouldn't be a dinner without you, Kagome."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked, looking around in the interior of the car, the sense of uncomfortableness clear on his mind, yet not really knowing the reason. Beside from the fact that he was sitting inside the car, a car which Inuyasha suspected Miroku treated all too similarly like a woman.

"Sesshoumaru, I think we should call this off." Miroku commented, eyeing the hanyou from the rear-view mirror. "Ever since I said hello to him, well, look at him, all pale and sweaty."

Indeed the older brother did look at the younger, and was not too surprised when he saw him nervously looking around, quite different from his reaction yesterday when they rode in Miroku's car. Not too surprised, because he too had the same reaction, except he was unprepared when he heard the real name of the car, and saw it emblazoned on its license plates.

Sesshoumaru also remembered having many a sleepless night after the unfortunate experience.

"He will be fine, once you stop talking, Miroku." He icily breathed out, before turning his attention back to his brother. "Now then, firstly, you are going to get some new clothes and a pair of dress shoes."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" Inuyasha asked, looking down at his kimono.

"Look around you, Inuyasha. Do you see anyone wearing the same type of clothes that you are wearing? If you want to impress Kagome on your little date, then you will also have to play the part."

The hanyou frowned, and his face remained in the same position, even as he stood in front of the three panel mirror, his reflections staring back at him while the tailor fitted him with a suit of black soft material.

"Whatever is the matter now?" Sesshoumaru asked from behind him.

"What're you really up to? Why do you want to get us together? I thought you hated anything that involved humans."

The youkai smiled, a subtly wicked smile, which made Inuyasha's temper flare up considerably.

"Do you find it strange that I, Sesshoumaru, would _want_ to help you?"

"Yes."

"Yes, well..." and he left his words to hang while he grinned, unknowingly sending chills down the tailor's spine.

* * *

Kagome sighed in relief as the bell rang for the end of the school day. She was thankful that it was a Saturday, because her mind had been too occupied since the morning to think about a full day of school. It had started late last night, when Inuyasha asked if she would go out to dinner with him. Initially, and quite naturally, she had said yes, but as the hours drifted blissfully by, Kagome soon realised that it was _Inuyasha_, who had asked her to go out to dinner with him. She was far from having second thoughts; it was something only her fantasies were able to accomplish. But to hear him say those words, words which she never would have imagined would come out of his mouth, the surprise left her with little sleep.

_I must have been dreaming. Yes, that's it... dreaming..._

She heard voices calling out her name, and turned to see her friends, who were excitedly asking her what she was going to do for the rest of the weekend. To which Kagome immediately blushed in response, remembering what she had been dreading for most of the morning.

Sly looks filled the girls' faces as they huddled around their friend, already guessing what her plans were going to be for the afternoon.

"Wha-wha-what are you guys looking at?" Kagome asked.

"Don't deny it, Kagome-chan. That look on your face tells us that you're going out on a date."

"A d-date... me? He just asked me out to dinner, that's all." She covered her mouth to stop herself from talking.

"I knew it! Who is it?"

"It must be that foreigner boyfriend."

"Oh how sweet!"

Kagome laughed nervously as her friends hooked their arms around hers, and with big grins on their faces, began talking about helping her out with the makeup and hair. Not that she was being ungrateful to her friends; it was a long time since she had a chance to have a normal day to do what teenagers normally did. It wouldn't have been right for her to ruin it for them.

She smiled.

They squealed, and Kagome knew then, that she was in trouble.

* * *

Inuyasha pressed his face against the glass, eyeing the sparkling pieces of jewellery displayed on top of boxes covered in some deep red fabric. He blinked at the brightness, and at the many zeros on the tiny labels attached to the said jewellery. Moving his head slightly, he watched his older brother talking to a person standing behind the counter.

"What's he doing now?" the hanyou asked, seeing that the conversation between Sesshoumaru and the owner of the shop was becoming increasingly heated, on Sesshoumaru's part. The other man just kept shaking his head, pure fear controlling his actions.

"Oh, your brother thought it would be nice if you gave Kagome-san something special. You know, for your little date." Miroku replied. "Women like that sort of thing."

"Oh..." Inuyasha's face fell, while his ears drooped slightly. "They like that sort of thing."

"Ha, ha, that's not to say _all_ women like expensive things." He replied quickly, trying to recover from the brief awkward moment. The phone in his jacket began to ring, so after excusing himself, he deftly slipped his mobile phone out, and flipped the cover open to answer it.

_"What's he doing now?"_ said the voice on the other end.

"You know, old boy, your younger self just asked the exact same thing. And keep your voice down, he might hear you."

_"Don't 'old boy', me, Miroku. Are you at the jewellery shop?"_

"Yes, and Sesshoumaru doesn't look too happy. What did you do?" Before he could answer, Sesshoumaru had stalked out from the store, snatched the phone from Miroku's hand and said,

"He bought everything in the store. Especially the piece I had been reserving for _six months_. The same piece I had specifically made for this occasion: handcrafted, gold, diamonds, ¥4,000,000. Do you know anyone who would be foolish enough to do such a thing, to this Sesshoumaru?"

_"No idea," _the voice then cut off, much to the youkai's dissatisfaction.

All Inuyasha could do was to look at them, deciding whoever had just spoken from the strange little rectangle called a mobile phone, had just pissed Sesshoumaru off. Something he thought was not possible. It was amusing though, as it was evident by his growing urge to snicker out loud. But one look from his brother stopped him.

"Look, why don't we break for lunch, Sesshoumaru? I'm sure there are plenty of jewellery stores around to your liking." Miroku said.

"That is hardly the point, Miroku. I am just trying to help my poor little brother, and I do not need _him_ to ruin my fun." He strode off down the street, his powerful yet graceful strides making a few passers-by step back in fright.

The dark haired man just smiled, grabbing Inuyasha by the arm, and pulled him along so that they could catch up with Sesshoumaru. They found him a short time after, standing outside a modern looking, yet classy cafe.

"The usual table, sir?" the waiter asked, ushering the three men inside to a table that was covered with a crisp white tablecloth, and surrounded by seats of green velvet.

Inuyasha quietly sat on the surprisingly comfortable seat, looking around his surroundings with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. It was a surreal feeling, sitting with his brother, and an odd man who insisted he be called Miroku, in a place that was very different from Kagome's house or her school. He could tell by its settings and atmosphere that this was a fancy place – just to eat – yet there was something else on his mind which demanded an answer, as he pointedly looked at the blue eyed man sitting next to him.

"Now out with it. Are you the Miroku from my time, or did some shit happen to make you appear here?"

"Language, please, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru hushed, seeing the waiter giving strange looks in his direction.

"Oh yes. I said I would explain, didn't I? It's not that big a deal. You know that in some families, it is tradition for every first-born son to be named after the father. My father was named Miroku, and so was my grandfather, and my great-grandfather, and so on. And to think, this tradition came out from a joke my ancestor from your time, said to you."

"What joke?" Inuyasha asked, slowly.

"The story has been passed down that every first-born male is to be named Miroku, in honour of his friendship with you. Since he could not live a long life like you could, he felt this was the best thing he could do, so that you would not feel so lonesome."

The hanyou fell speechless at his words. This person had to be lying, or at least fucking around with his mind with heart-felt words. It didn't help that his face was almost identical to the houshi from the other side of the well. _Shit..._ Perhaps he was putting too much thought into it, as his head was starting to hurt. So he decided to play along, and hoped that sooner or later he would wake up and find out that he had been asleep after all.

"Th-thanks, M-Miroku. I don't know what to say."

The young man smiled. "Don't think anything about it. Guys like us have to stick together. We're different from normal society."

Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked at Miroku with strange expressions on their faces, with one thought on their mind: _Only you would think like that, Miroku..._

"So, otouto," Sesshoumaru began. "Have you given any thought about how you are going to propose to her? I have provided a venue for you, a nice little restaurant, clothes, and other accessories. So how are you going to ask her?"

Inuyasha visibly gulped. He had been so overwhelmed, being whisked here and there, that he had not given much thought on the actual proposal.

"Typical." He stated, earning a glare from his younger brother.

"Well, I did plan to write it out," from his sleeve, he produced a small, folded piece of paper, which Miroku promptly snatched away.

"But...," he blinked. "You only have her name on it. Oh, never mind, I can write the rest for you. I'm very good at poetry." He began to write excitedly, deftly avoiding Inuyasha's attempts to snatch the paper away from him. "There, all done," and he quickly slipped it into his sleeve before the hanyou could react. "Say that, and she'll be in your arms tonight, in more ways than one."

Lunch went by without much commotion, beside the fact the waiter had asked about Inuyasha's choice of clothes and the ears on top of his head, to which his brother replied by saying that it was part of his costume, and that he wore them to keep in character while performing at the Sunset Shrine.

"Oh, I see. And might I add that it suits you, sir, especially the ears, very life-like."

"What did he mean by that?" For some reason, he had a feeling that this man knew him. How was it possible, he had no idea, unless... "Does he know me?" His answer was blank looks from both Miroku and Sesshoumaru, and a suspicious silence, before an annoying ringing sound interrupted his concentration.

"It's for you." Miroku handed Sesshoumaru the phone, and without another word, the silver-haired man stood up and walked out of the cafe, his voice low while he spoke into the phone. He then sighed, shaking his head. "That brother of yours, he's really enthusiastic about this proposal thing. I wonder why. Something must have happened to make him act like that."

Inuyasha didn't reply, wondering the same thing. _Was it regret for something? _Somehow he doubted his bastard brother would have such feelings, or at least to that extreme. After all, he was a bastard.

Wasn't he?

* * *

Much to her dismay, Kagome's friends had followed her home, and were now in her bedroom, with Eri combing her hair and Yuka admiring the soft pink and burgundy dress, while Ayumi sat quietly listening to the other three talking eagerly about Kagome's upcoming date. Well, at least Eri and Yuka were.

"You don't have to do this for me." Kagome said, watching herself in the mirror as Eri combed through her dark locks. "He's only taking me out to dinner."

"You were always like this, Kagome-chan. Whenever Hojou-kun took you out to lunch, you never thought of it as anything special."

"That's because he's just a friend. Can't friends have lunch together?"

Eri looked at Yuka with an incredulous expression. "I don't think you understand. Hojou-kun may be just a friend, but isn't this different? You were asked by your foreigner boyfriend. You know the two-timing, dangerous gang member. The one you always kept complaining about, yet stuck through for him. His invitation must mean something. And that dress, it's not the kind of dress someone gives to a 'friend'."

"Jii-chan gave it to me."

"So?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, finding Eri's logic a little hard to believe. Her grandfather's gift had nothing to do with Inuyasha asking her out, nothing at all.

_Are you sure, Kagome? _Her mind reasoned with her. _Think about it. Jii-chan giving you the dress, then Inuyasha asking you out, and the fact that no one told you where he left this morning, not even dog-boy, himself. It's a bit suspicious, don't you think? _

"It has nothing to do with that." She blurted out. "He just asked me out to dinner. Why do you keep making such a big deal about it? It's not like he's going to propose to me." Then in a second, she gasped, blushing at her outburst of denial. Fortunately, her friends had taken in her words, proceeding to take their conversation to a different and more awkward topic.

"A real proposal," Yuka gushed dreamily, "A promise of marriage."

"You're so lucky, Kagome-chan." Ayumi said. "Not many guys these days would make that kind of commitment."

"Not you too, Ayumi-chan. He's not going to propose to me. We're just going out to dinner."

The three girls looked at each other then back at Kagome, the disbelief of their friend's denial, or perhaps naivety, was so much like Kagome. However this was different, this was her boyfriend. The one whom she claimed was nothing but a trouble maker, a delinquent, who couldn't get over his other girlfriend. The same one who picked her up after school, carried her home when she had been too exhausted to walk, and had generally been nice to them. So why was she being so difficult? It was obvious that he was a nice guy, very different from Kagome's description.

Was it possible that she was really in love with the guy but was trying to refuse her own feelings for him?

The three girls nodded and put their hands on Kagome's shoulders for support.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan." Eri said.

"We believe in you, so do your best," added Yuka.

Kagome sweat-dropped, wondering what had occurred to cause them to have such odd grins plastered all over their faces. _What just happened...?_

* * *

Inuyasha's face pressed against the glass of a bakery, his eyes glazed in wonderment at all the different types of bread teasing him with their appearance and delicious smells. If there was one thing he liked about this era, besides being in Kagome's room, was the apparent overabundance of foods waiting to be eaten. The thought of food made him hungry again, despite having lunch not too long ago. He couldn't help himself; he had simply been walking behind Sesshoumaru, to yet another jewellery store, when his nose twitched at an aroma so enticing, so magnetic, that his whole body detoured towards the shop.

"And how do you see this date as being successful, Sesshoumaru?" Kouga said, pointing towards the hanyou. "Do you see how committed he is, that instead of looking at jewellery pieces to impress Kagome, he has gotten googly eye over bread and pastry. Look at him, selfish bastard. Only thinks about food—"

"Go buy him some, will you?" Sesshoumaru replied, giving him a look which told the ookami to stalk off to where Inuyasha was.

"Selfish bastard," Kouga seethed. He glared at Inuyasha happily munching away at the bag full of bread rolls and pastries, the ones he bought with his own money. _Goddamn puppy. _His stomach rumbled in protest, and his mouth watered at the smell of freshly baked goods.

"You want one?" The hanyou asked between mouthfuls, offering him a pastry, which Kouga took, after some hesitation.

Sesshoumaru stepped out from the shop, his irritation twitching at his left eye. It was not possible; there were no suitable pieces he could purchase as a gift so that his brother could give to his intended. It was bad enough he had to spend quite a sum of money for a piece of shiny metal. However, it was the Inuyasha of the present who had suggested such a piece, and it was he who took the precious necklace, and practically the whole store, from his grasp. And now he was stuck not knowing what to buy. He could not understand his younger brother's actions. Well, he could, but he decided at present it was not important. Not when the younger Inuyasha was offering a tempting bread roll.

"Why do you always have to be so difficult, Inuyasha?" he said, more to himself than to his brother. Chewing thoughtfully, he watched Inuyasha looking into the store window, his amber eyes scanning the contents displayed inside. Then the hanyou stopped, his gaze fixed on something, but all too soon, he looked away, embarrassed. Sesshoumaru stood behind him, trying to find what Inuyasha had been staring at.

A grin appeared on his face. _You bastard..._

"Do you like that pendant, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked carefully, already knowing the reply from the way Inuyasha's face darkened with red while his mouth stuttered with nonsense. With what sound like a frustrated sigh, he slipped back into the shop, appearing again after a few minutes holding a blue velvet box.

"What's this for?"

"It is so you can give it to Kagome, to show how much you appreciate her."

He blinked, absentmindedly feeling the velvet with his thumb, opening the box to find a small heart-shaped, silver pendant and chain. Gently he closed the box, unknown emotions stirring at his heart.

"Th-thanks, but, this is too much. I can't repay back all of this."

"And... what makes you think that you have to repay me?" The youkai asked, his eyebrows lifting in genuine surprise.

"I- I don't know. I just don't like... owing people."

"Again, you say such nonsense. I am only doing this for your own benefit, so you do not have to worry about repaying me."

"But, still—"

"Not another word. It is getting late, and you have to get ready. This could very well be the most significant event to ever happen in your life. Do not waste it."

* * *

"You look so beautiful, Kagome-chan." Eri and Yuka sighed.

"Really?" the young woman looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the way the dress fit her body nicely. "You really think so?" Smiling, Kagome blushed at her reflection. _I wonder if he'll like it..._

"If your boyfriend doesn't think so, then he must be colour-blind."

_I don't know, I never asked him. _Fortunately, for her, she didn't voice out that thought.

The door creaked open and her mother stepped into the room. Her eyes shone at the sight of her daughter, so grown up and beautiful, very different from the young girl who on that fateful day, disappeared into another world, the day which had changed her life. This was another one of those days, however, she felt more prepared for it. She had been for some time now, and now was the time to see if their plans would come into fruition.

"Mama, do I look alright?" Kagome asked.

"That's not for me to decide, dear. Are you ready?"

"I-I think so. Yes. But, my heart, it's beating so fast."

Likewise, Inuyasha's heart was beating in a similar fashion, his hands clenching and unclenching as he stared at the entrance to the hallway. Never in his life did he know such a feeling. He was never a very nervous person, yet this anticipation of seeing Kagome had somehow roused these feeling within him.

"This is stupid." He hissed to his brother, straightening out the lapel on his jacket, while his ears twitched under the fabric of the black bandana. "I've known Kagome for a long time, so why am I so nervous, now?"

"It is called love." Sesshoumaru replied, pushing him stumbling into the house, where the hanyou almost lost his footing if not for his quick reflexes.

Inuyasha glared at his brother, and his anger grew when the youkai only gave him a nonchalant response. _Arsehole..._ Taking a deep breath, he took a few steps, and a few more, until he saw the faces of Kagome's family, looking expectedly at him, smiling.

"W-what?" was all the hanyou could say. "Do I look alright?"

"That's not for me to decide, Inuyasha-kun. Are you ready?"

Inuyasha made a sound, which sounded much like a soft whine.

And then it happened.

He wasn't quite sure if he was seeing things, but on top of the stairs stood a woman wearing a pink and burgundy dress, with dark, wavy hair that fell past her shoulders and eyes of sparkling blue-grey. It seemed time had stopped as he gaped openly at her, not realising that Kagome's mother had simply grinned, lifting his chin to close his open mouth. Still he stared in disbelief, even as the family admired how beautiful Kagome looked as she climbed down the stairs with grace and ease of a young woman going out on their first date.

"Have a good time you two," said Souta, winking at Inuyasha.

"Oh, wait, Inuyasha." Jii-chan tugged at his jacket sleeve, asking him to crouch down so that he could whisper into his ear. "Good luck, boy. And remember to propose to her. Make me proud, my son."

Inuyasha blanched.

* * *

Stupid keeps taking away the speech marks...


End file.
